Today’s show: Illustrating the Mountains of Madness

Images from The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, At the Mountains of Madness and Deadbeats by I.N.J Culbard

Beginning a trio of shows about the influence of writer H.P.Lovecraft on comics, Alex Fitch talks to I.N.J. Culbard about his graphic novel adaptation of At the Mountains of Madness and forthcoming adaptation of The Case of Charles Dexter Ward for Self Made Hero. Cartoonist Rob Davis briefly joins the conversation (recorded at last month’s Thought Bubble convention) as Alex, Rob and Ian discuss Lovecraft’s short stories and the difficulty of illustrating prose that is alternatively wordy, obtuse and unnamable.

On Friday 9th and Saturday 10th December, listeners in the North of England might like to go along to the Newcastle Comic Convention, Canny Comics which is taking place at Tyneside Cinema and Newcastle City Library – events include a free screening of George lucas’ magnum opus, Howard the Duck, signings, a drink and draw session and guests include Mary and Bryan Talbot, Doug Braithwaite, Gary Erskine and Al Ewing…
09/12/11 – 7pm till late, Tyneside Cinema, 10 Pilgrim Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Tyne And Wear NE1 6QG
10/12/11 – 10am – 5.30pm, Newcastle City Library, 33 New Bridge Street West, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8AX
More info can be found at cannycomiccon.blogspot.com

Comics Gosh!p

Another monthly event, in which hosts Mike Medaglia and Mark Haylock pick a ‘mainstream’ and small press comic to discuss in this free reading group in Gosh Comics!, Soho

This month they’re looking at “Understanding Comics” by Scott McCloud and John Miers‘ treatment of The Tower of Babel in his book “A Collection of Comics”
All books will be available at Gosh! and you can read ‘The Tower of Babel’ online (however the book is really nice to have!)

LUNCHTIME LECTURE: Join Ian Rakoff, screenwriter, editor and author, to look at the significance of politics and gender in relation to popular romance comic books.

Romance comic books selling over 30 million monthly issues and featuring influential heroines dominated the market from 1949 to 1954. At the same time, real women continued to experience gender discrimination and disempowerment. Ian Rakoff draws new connections between the content of romance comic books and 1950s anti-communist McCarthy witch-hunts.